BAS Poetry: The Curse of Bloody Maria

Broke-Ass Stuart is now accepting poetry submissions to be featured in the BAS Poetry: Arts & Culture column. Written & curated by Corinne Avganim.

Photo: Bloody Maria, La Loca

Monday, bloody Monday. Not sure about you, but I need a major distraction from reality today. So, I have decided to spend the day embodying Bloody Maria – a graphic novel hero turned supernatural chola comic-film star. In this version of the story, rival chola gang leaders in East Los Angeles (a place near and dear to my 310 heart) become cursed with demonic powers and release the evil spirit of golden age movie starlet, Lupe Velez, the “Eve” of all cholas. Curses, Catholic school girls, badass heroines, werewolves, and hella Latino cultural references for those who understand. There’s really not much more I can ask for in life.

I came across this poem by one of the script writers over the weekend. May it empower your week as it has my Monday.

THE CURSE OF BLOODY MARIA

by DJ Sexylips
East Los Angeles, California

What’s up East L.A.?
Tonight you cholas come out to play
Rule your streets, frightening, resisting, and battling your counterpart
Like old lovers who never got it together yet can’t be apart,
But one night you brown caterpillars will be butterflies and will fly above the mess below
With your own voice tell the story of your status quo
Her-story of BLOODY MARIA, that started so long ago
Call her when the banshee wails and the wolf howls
And under a blood red moon the movie star prowls.
Mamacita help us all, these locos got tales that run tall
With pockets as empty as Old Mother Hubbard’s cupboard and ideas bigger than you or me
Show some love to the baddest bitches fighting the powers that be!
Dig it as much as me? Check out www.helpfundbloodymaria.com to keep tabs on these demon-powered cholas’ mission to save the barrio!

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